After the Pardon

Serao, Matilde, 1856-1927Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.5

Word count: 396K words
Chapters: 40

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.After the Pardon by Matilde SeraoAuthor: Serao, Matilde, 1856-1927,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: Oct 26, 2015

Editor's review

This book is an English translation of a novel by the Italian writer Matilde Serao, released free by Project Gutenberg. Serao was an important voice in late nineteenth-century Italian realist literature; her works are often set in Neapolitan society and focus on ordinary people's struggles among morality, emotion, and social pressure. This book revolves around life "after the pardon," exploring whether forgiveness can truly erase the consequences of wrongdoing and how characters reposition themselves between public opinion and their inner selves. The narrative offers naturalistic, detailed observation; the plot advances not through dramatic reversals but through layered development of psychology and social environment. For readers interested in the social scene after Italian unification, traditions of women's writing, or the varied faces of realist fiction, this is a public-domain work worth reading. It is best read within the context of nineteenth-century European realism, with attention to how the author handles class, reputation, and family relations. The electronic edition is easy to obtain and suitable as course supplementary reading or for independent reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in nineteenth-century Italian literature and realist fiction
Students and researchers studying traditions of European women's writing
Course instructors who need public-domain English texts
General readers who enjoy social manners and psychological portrayal

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer fast-paced plots and strong dramatic conflict
Readers who cannot read English and have no translation to assist them

Reading tips

Learn about Serao and the background of Italian verismo literature before starting; the reading will go more smoothly.
Note the different meanings characters give to "pardon" and keep brief notes on character relationships.
For course use, select key chapters for comparison with contemporary French and Russian realist works.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book an English original or a translation?

This is an English translation of Serao's Italian novel, released by Project Gutenberg as an English-language ebook and a public-domain resource.

Can I understand it without a background in Italian literature?

Yes. The character relationships and emotional conflicts are fairly clear in themselves, but knowing the late nineteenth-century Italian social context and the background of verismo literature will make it easier to grasp how the author handles reputation, class, and family.

Is it suitable as classroom teaching material?

It is suitable as supplementary reading for courses on nineteenth-century European realism or women's writing. The text is in the public domain and easy to obtain, and it can be used with historical background materials and selected passages for discussion.

Comments

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About the author

Serao, Matilde, 1856-1927 Author

Matilde Serao (1856–1927) was an Italian writer, and 15 of her works are held in this collection. Her writings span novels, short stories, and sketches, and they mostly center on the social life of Naples and the everyday experiences of ordinary people. Representative works include Le Amanti, Gli amanti: pastelli, Fior di passione, Dal vero, The Conquest of Rome, The Land of Cockayne: A Novel, Suor Giovanna della Croce: romanzo, and Vita e avventure di Riccardo Joanna: romanzo. These works show her gift for realistic portrayals of urban life and emotional relationships, with delicate narration, vivid characterization, and a blend of cool observation and warm sympathy. Public information is limited, and further details of her life and critical reception are not available here, yet the works themselves indicate her place in modern Italian fiction.